I’ve been learning French for a while now, and I want to share my journey of learning French with you right from the very beginning.
1. The University of YouTube
When I was living in the US, there weren’t many French language schools nearby. Naturally, I turned to YouTube and followed several language channels. I picked up basic pronunciation rules, learned common phrases, and even put together a handy cheat sheet. I honestly thought that once I mastered those basics, I’d be able to handle everyday conversations.
But reality hit during my trip to France. The moment I actually needed to ask for help in French, my mind went completely blank. I couldn’t recall a single word. To save myself from total embarrassment, I muttered a quick “bonjour” and immediately switched right back to English.
2. French Language School
After arriving in France, I enrolled in a French language school for four months. On my very first day, I had a massive reality check: I was at absolute level zero. I didn’t even know what the word “conjugation” actually meant!
The classes moved at a breakneck pace. Even though I was dedicated 100% full-time to my studies, I still barely managed to use French in my daily life. I felt completely lost in a whirlwind of pronunciation, word genders, and verb conjugations.
check out my honest review of French language schools here!
3. Practicing with Locals
I’ve always heard that the best way to master a language is to speak with locals. After class, I’d go into shops and force myself to ask for things, even if I didn’t actually need to buy anything. I would carefully prepare what I wanted to say, but when the shopkeepers replied in natural French, I simply couldn’t understand them.
check out my “Understanding French is Hard” series to see how those scenarios went!
I also tried language exchange meetups. However, when I asked people if we could practice together regularly, they either made excuses to decline—probably because it felt like too big a commitment—or charged €15-100 for a session (30 min ~ 1 hour).
4. Practicing with Apps and AI
Following some advice from the meetups, I tried standard language apps like Duolingo. While it was easy to use, the material felt rigid and I got bored quickly. Next, I turned to AI-powered language apps like Talkpal, Speak, and Langua. They offered free-style conversation, but having to press a button every time I wanted to speak felt cumbersome.
When ChatGPT and Grok introduced their voice modes, I was eager to try them. I loved the hands-free experience—no more pressing buttons! However, because they aren’t specifically designed for language learning, the AI tended to use overly complex expressions that were way too advanced for a beginner.
5. Developing My Own AI Practice Partner
After all this effort, I still couldn’t speak as freely as I wanted to. That’s when I realized I needed to build my own app to solve this problem.
Here is my vision for it:
- A Partner, Not a Teacher: I can learn grammar from books or YouTube. I don’t need a strict teacher; I need an affordable tutor and practice partner.
- Hands-Free & Natural: It should be entirely hands-free, just like a real conversation. I can interrupt the AI or change the subject at any time.
- Pure Speaking Practice: It isn’t a full-scale curriculum app like Duolingo or TalkPal. Built specifically for English speakers, it focuses 100% on conversational practice. No fixed lessons, no tedious onboarding questionnaires—just sign up and start speaking immediately.
- Unscripted Pronunciation Feedback: Instead of testing users on fixed sentences like other apps, it allows me to say anything. The AI acts as a real listener, letting me know if I was understood and gently correcting my pronunciation.
- Building Muscle Memory: This isn’t just another open-ended conversation app like ChatGPT or Grok. Instead, it focuses on targeted dynamic exercises to build “muscle memory”, so I can eventually speak without pausing to think.
The app is Parlez. I’m using it every day now. Please give it a try for free.